Addressing students who had waited patiently for almost 12 hours, members of American University’s Board of Trustees tonight stated that troubled president Benjamin Ladner’s tenure had come to an end, though questions concerning his severance package remained unanswered.

Facing weary students and members of the local media, board chairman Thomas Gottschalk and university vice-president Cornelius Kerwin announced that Ladner — who was suspended in August in the wake of allegations that he charged almost $500,000 to the university for personal expenses — would also be forced to pay the university $125,000 for certain expenses and report $398,000 in additional taxable income to the IRS. When asked what the board had decided concerning Ladner’s severance package — whose $1 million price tag and other generous concessions angered students and faculty — Gottschalk claimed it was a “confidential personal matter” that would be dealt with at a future meeting, possibly in November.

Student organizers quickly took to the podium as trustees and university administrators filed out, declaring that they were pleased that Ladner had been dismissed but surprised that no decision had been made on his severance package.

The board also announced it had called for the formation of three committees, one to lead the search for a new president, one charged with nominating a new board chair, and one to deal with governance issues. Students had demanded that the board add new seats for students and faculty, though no specific mention of this was made by trustees.